Johnny Depp is barely recognizable as gangster James “Whitey” Bulger in the intense teaser trailer for "Black Mass," the action drama from director Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart, "Out of the Furnace").

Based on the 2001 book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob," the film tells the true story of  how Whitey Bulger, the brother of a Massachusetts state senator and the most infamous notorious criminal in South Boston, became an FBI informant to take down the Italian mob that was invading his territory.

Opening Sept. 18, "Black Mass" boasts an all-star cast that Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Corey Stoll, Rory Cochrane, Sienna Miller and Adam Scott.

In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the true story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.